Vehicle Control and Emergency Handling
Domain 4 covers what your hands and feet do when grip disappears or something breaks. The consistent thread is gentle inputs: abrupt braking or steering is what turns a recoverable slide into a crash.
Everyday control
Hold the wheel at roughly 9 and 3. Look where you want to go, because the car follows your eyes. Brake progressively and steer smoothly; on ice, a hard brake application takes away the steering you need to avoid the hazard.
Skids and loss of grip
If the rear steps out, ease off the accelerator, look and steer where you want the front of the car to point, and avoid hard braking until the tyres regain grip. For a front-wheel skid, straighten the wheel slightly and ease off the accelerator so the tyres can roll again. With ABS, press firmly and hold - do not pump, which defeats the system.
Hydroplaning and blowouts
If the steering suddenly feels light in rain, you are likely hydroplaning: ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel straight and avoid braking until the tyres bite again. After a tyre blowout, grip the wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator and let the car slow gradually before steering to the shoulder.
Cold-weather preparation
Winter tyres outperform all-seasons once temperatures fall below about 7°C. Tyre pressure drops roughly 1 psi for every 5–6°C of cooling, so check pressures in the cold, not in a warm garage. Keep washer fluid rated for extreme cold and carry a scraper, booster cables, a shovel and warm clothing.
Worked example
On an icy street the rear of your car swings to the right. You steer right, into the slide, while easing off the accelerator. Steering with the slide aligns the tyres with your direction of travel so they can roll and regain grip; counter-steering the other way would spin the car.
Traps that cost marks
Pumping ABS brakes; braking hard mid-skid; overcorrecting with a large steering input; assuming winter tyres make ice behave like dry pavement; leaving cruise control engaged on a slippery highway.